Battery terminal



Patented June 22, 1948 UNITED sTArEs .rFics BATTERY TERMINAL :Will iam GlrTenney, Chicago, Ill.

"ADnlicationxTulyZ, 1945, Serial *No. 60.23.91 u2aGlaims. (o1. incense) v: 1 This invention relates to a battery terminal, and has-for its object the provisionof "such a terminal which iscompact, simple, sturdy, selfadjusting, few -in parts; and easily operated. More detailed objects will-appear in the following description and in the-drawing wherein:

"Figure 1 is a view inelevation of apaironme presentterminals attached to a battery which is supported Y a from beneath a an 1 automobile floor board (shown in section) Figure 2 is a-viewimperspective of thebar forming the j aw-clamp;

Figured is a longitudinal horizontal section taken-through the terminal; and

'* Figures iand 5 are views insection taken, respectively, on line 4-t of it"iguret and line 5-5 of Figure 4. y

In Figure 1 there ,is illustrated a battery 9 which may be of thetype conventionally used in automobiles, ,mcunted below atfioor board [0 in a box formed by a depending bracket ll secured at its ends 12 to the underside of the floor board by any appropriate means (not shown). *Side straps l3 may connect with .the bracket to secure the battery against lateral displacement in the box. While the space between the battery-top and the 'underside'ofthe floor board is' shownas rather close yet itis sufficient for accommodation of' the present terminals which occupy "but-very little l vertical space. In" the attainment of this end the movable parts of my terminal operate in a plane adjacent and parallel to the battery top.

The components of my terminal are (1) a pair of cable-engaging jaws one of which doubles as a post-engaging clamp, and (2) a second clamp coacting with the jaw-clamp first mentioned for engaging one of the battery posts. These parts which may be produced from a suitable metal, and which are interconnected by two bolts one of which is fixedly mounted in the jaw-clamp to be thereby prevented from rotation, will now be described in detail.

A bar A which serves as the jaw-clamp is formed with a hole 2| inwardly taperin toward the top, and through this hole may be fitted the shank of a threaded bolt 22 forming a stud. As by means of a punch press, the sides of the hole are inwardly displaced at 23 to fixedly lock the stud in place. The fit of the stud within the bar A is both immovable and irremovable.

Coacting with one face of the bar, along one end portion thereof, is a second jaw B which, as shown, is slightly arcuate endwise, being formed with a through opening 25 in its medial region. A pair of spaced cheeks 26 (see Figure 4) depend ceive thereon a threaded nut 30 which bears against the outer face of'the jaw B." Theopem ing 25 is slightly largerthan the stud inserted 'therethrough, thereby topermit it to freely execute angular adjusting movements relative to the stud. A cable'end 31 maybe positioned between the two cheeks so as to be engaged ononeside bythe-bar tongue 21 and on the 'other by-the re sistance end of the jaw B-which-is, in effect, a lever of the thi rd class."*Withadvanceof the nut Nippon the stud tr an acting force is exerted upon "this lever such 'asto engage tightly the cable end' that lies between the" jaws thereby providing a secure-connection between the cable and "the terminal fitting,

The bar-end opposite the jaw 33 serves as a coactimg jaw for "engagement ofthe cable end. The remote bar end which serves as a clamp is formed on its face opposite-the jaw hump 28 with a concave seat 35 facing a complementary seat 36 which is formed on the concave side of a bow 37 extending transversely of a second clamp C through which are a pair of openings 38 and 39 spaced apart beyond the seat, the opening 38 being aligned with the stud 22 and the opening 39 in line with an opening 40 in the bar A. Through the openings 39 and 40 a bolt 4| is freely receivable with its head 42 and a coacting nut 13 engaging outer faces of the bar A and clamp C, as shown in Figure 3. The threaded shanks of the bolts 22 and 4| are positioned to lie to the outside of a generally cylindrical object that may be accommodated between the facing concave seats 35 and 36 of the bar A and clamp C, the intended object being one of the posts 46 (see Figure 5) which upstands from the top of the battery. The polygonal head 42 of the bolt 41 bears against the bar face which is opposite the seat 35, one facet of the bolt head lying adjacent a shoulder 41 at the end of the arcuate hump 28. The bolt 4| is accordingly prevented from turning when the threaded nut 43 applied to its opposite end is rotated thereon to advance the 3 clamp C toward the bar. Upon the bolt 22 is fitted a nut 5! adapted to be operated along with the nut is so that both ends of the clamp C may be advanced toward the battery post upon which the terminal is to be secured.

The battery terminal of this invention is compact, effective and very simple. One of the connecting bolts, 1. e., the stud 22 is locked fast with the jaw-clamp A, whereas the head 42 of the other bolt 4! is normally restrained against rotation. The outwardly bowed hump 28 which serves as a bearing point for the jaw B also acts as a spacer block therefor, thereby minimizing the metal required for proper support of its fulcrum end. The terms jaws and clamps, as used herein, have been chosen as convenient designations for a pair of coacting elements in each case, the expression jaw denoting one of two parts between which there is relative rocking or pivotal movement, and the expression clamp indicating a part which as a whole is movable toward and from its coacting part. The jawclamp A is a part common to both the jaw B and the clamp C, hence its compound designation.

I claim:

1. A battery terminal comprising a bar formed at one end into a jaw and provided at a point remote therefrom with a transverse arcuate bow defining a concave interior face and an exterior convex hump, a jaw coacting at one end with the jaw end of the bar and at its opposite end being fulcrumed upon the hump of the bar, there being through the bar and jaw a pair of registering openings, a threaded stud bolt forming at each end a threaded stud and extending through the registering openings of the bar and jaw and immovably anchored intermediate its ends between said studs to the bar, a nut fitted operatively on one of said studs adjacent the jaw and movable lengthwise of such stud to impart adjusting movements to the jaw relative to the bar, there being a second opening through the bar at a point beyond its hump, a clamp operatively associated with the bar provided with a transverse arcuate bow disposed oppositely of the bar bow and coacting therewith to define a substantially circular split seat therebetween, the clamp being formed with a pair of openings in register with the openings in the bar for receiving through one of them the other stud of the bolt, a second bolt extended through the other pair of registering openings in the bar and clamp and having a head engaging the former adjacent the hump thereon whereby to be prevented from rotation, and nuts fitted on the two bolts in engagement with the clamp and adjustable lengthwise of the bolts to impart adjusting movements to the clamp relative to the bar without affecting the clamping action on the cable, and the clamp and bar being removable from a battery terminal without releasing clamping action on the cable.

. 2. A battery terminal comprising a bar formed with a transverse arcuate bow near one end forming a clamp having an inner battery post engaging face, said bar being provided at the other end with a jaw having at its outer side a cable clampmg face; a clamp formed with a transverse arcuate bow disposed opposite the bow of said bar and having an inner battery post engaging face, said clamps forming a substantially circular split seat, an outer jaw located at the outer side of said bar and in cooperation with the jaw of said bar and having one end fulcrumed to rock upon the arcuate bow of said bar and having at its other end an inner cable clamping face, a pair of bolts located at the ends of the arcuate bows, one of the bolts being a stud bolt and having a threaded stud at each end, one of the studs being REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of, this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

